Petition to the Tippecanoe County Commissioners and Area Plan Commission
 

Purpose: 

The Tippecanoe County Area Plan Commission is currently considering UZO Amendment 123, which would define and permit “Large Data Centers” under county zoning.

If this amendment passes, it opens the door for such facilities to be developed in our community without clear, enforceable protections for water, energy, and public health.

We, the undersigned, oppose the addition of data centers as a permitted land use in Tippecanoe County unless and until robust local ordinances are established to protect residents, resources, and farmland.

Energy and Resource Impact

Large data centers are among the most energy-intensive facilities in modern industry.

The newest generation of “hyperscale” centers, built to power artificial intelligence, can consume over 100 megawatt-hours of electricity per month, enough to power thousands of homes.

This extreme demand can strain local grids, increase energy costs for residents, and force utilities to expand fossil-fuel generation.
Tippecanoe County must protect its existing energy stability and prevent large corporate users from monopolizing resources that our homes, schools, and businesses depend on.

Water Consumption

Cooling these massive facilities requires enormous amounts of water, often millions of gallons per day.
For context, nearly 60 data centers in Phoenix use an estimated 177 million gallons daily.

Our community depends on reliable water for agriculture, industry, and households.

Without closed-loop or water-recycling systems, data centers would divert essential water away from local needs and risk long-term strain on our aquifers and public utilities & increasing cost to the public.

Limited Job Creation

While proponents often highlight “job creation,” the reality tells another story:
Once construction is complete, data centers typically require fewer than 50 permanent staff, most of whom are specialized workers often brought in from outside the county.

The few permanent jobs do not offset the massive subsidies and tax abatements these companies often receive.
A 2025 University of Michigan report found that for every megawatt of data-center power, fewer than one job is created, compared to at least 25 jobs supported by traditional industries using the same energy.

Public Health and Pollution

Backup diesel generators are used to maintain 24/7 uptime, releasing harmful particulates (PM2.5), sulfur dioxide, and nitrogen oxides.
A 2024 joint study by UC Riverside and Caltech found that unchecked data-center growth could lead to over 600,000 asthma-related symptom cases by 2030, with total public-health costs exceeding $20 billion.

We cannot allow Tippecanoe County to follow the pattern seen in California and other states, where data centers have been disproportionately located in already overburdened communities.

Land Use and Community Quality of Life

Data centers are not benign “warehouses.”
They are sprawling industrial facilities that convert farmland and open land into heat-emitting, high-noise zones operating around the clock.

Once permitted, these projects are often exempt from individual public hearings.
Tippecanoe County residents deserve transparency, public involvement, and meaningful say before our landscape is transformed by industrial development.

What We’re Demanding

We call on the Tippecanoe County Commissioners and Area Plan Commission to reject the introduction of large data centers as a permitted land use in Tippecanoe County.

Our message is simple: these facilities do not belong here.
Their outsized resource demands, limited community benefit, and long-term environmental risks far outweigh any short-term gains.

FAQ / Common Rebuttals
Q: “This amendment just defines data centers. Isn’t that a good thing?”
A: Defining them while also adding them to the “permitted use” table effectively authorizes their development. Once listed as permitted, companies can build in industrial zones without additional public hearings.
That’s not “regulation”, that’s pre-approval without guardrails.

 
Q: “But this ensures they’ll meet industrial performance standards.”
A: Industrial performance standards cover basics like setbacks, lighting, and drainage, not energy sourcing, water usage, or emissions.
True protections must be specific, enforceable, and transparent.

 
Q: “Don’t we already have one data center here (Wintek)?”
A: Yes, and it’s small-scale and locally operated.
“Large data centers,” as defined in this amendment, are orders of magnitude larger, often hyperscale facilities built by global tech corporations with far higher demands on infrastructure and resources.

 
Q: “Isn’t this just planning ahead for growth?”
A: Planning ahead means putting guardrails first, not retroactively scrambling after construction begins. We’re not anti-technology, we’re pro-community. Tippecanoe deserves growth that safeguards our water, air, and local autonomy.

In Closing
We believe Tippecanoe County must put its residents, land, and resources first.

Once this door is opened, it will be almost impossible to close.

Let’s act now, before it’s too late, to ensure our community’s future is sustainable, transparent, and accountable.

Sign this petition to protect Tippecanoe County